Cable-railway channel



(No Model.) I

W. DUNHAM.

CABLE RAILWAY CHANNEL. No.3'75,480. PatentedDeo. 27, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica IVARREN DUNHAM, OF IGO, CALIFORNIA.

CABLE-RAILWAY CHANNEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nuo. 375,480, dated December 27, 1887.

Application tiled July G, 1887.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Beit known that l, WARRENk DUNHAM, of Igo, county of Shasta, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Cable-Railway Channels; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact'description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of cablerailways, and especially to the conduits or channels thereof, in which the traveling cable is contained.

My invention consists in hinged ilaps or lids covering the grip-slot of the channel-way and in their peculiar construction and arrangement.

My invention further consists in the construction of the channel or conduit and the braces for holding it, all of which I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The objects of my invention are to exclude snow, dirt, and other debris from the channel and to provide a simple and effective channel or conduit for the cables of cable railways.

Referring to the accompanying drawings fora more complete explanation of my invention, Figure lis aperspective View of my channel, showing a break in the road-bed to better illustrate it. Fig. 2 is avertical cross-section of same. Fig. 3 is a detail of the bolt E and the socket and slit in the channel-plate c.

A are the cross-ties of a roadway, and B B are the rails.

C is the channel or conduit for the wire rope, (unnecessary herein to show,) and D D are the iiaps or lids which cover the slot c of the channel-way. 'Ihese lids are hinged at their outer edges to the vedges of the channel-way, and

they swing through vertical arcs, their inner edges meeting when lyingin a horizontal plane and separating Whenmoving upwardly. Vhen in a horizontal plane, they rest 'on the top of the channel-way, so that wagons may drive over them freely, and they cover the slot ceffectually, preventing snow, dirt, and other foreign matter from getting in the channelway. In order that the iaps or lids may move readily 0n their hinges, I construct their outer edges with rounded beads d d, forming bearings on which they turn, and I hinge them on hook-shaped straps d d', which pass through slots in the iiaps and inthe top of the channel, and have their outer ends secured to the chan- Serial No. 243,580. (No model.)

ner iiange of its foot and the outer flange of 6o its top wanting. These plates are spiked down to the ties A, as usual, and are held to place by means of bolts E. These bolts have on their inner ends spaced collars e separated by aflattened portion, e. The end collar passes through a hole, c2, and the flatportion e' drops down in a slit d5 at the base of the hole, so that the bolt is firmly secured to the plate, being held by its two collars, one within and the other without. The other end of the bolt passes through the web of the rail B, and is secured by-nuts e2, one on each sideof the web.4 These bolts hold thegchannel-plates solidly, and by properly setting up the nuts e2 said plates may be trued up when for any reason they get out of place.

Within the base of the channel-way, and serving as a bottom therefor, is a plate, F, which renders it easy to clean out any matter which may find its way in.

I neednot herein describe the means I in-` tend to employ to raise the iiaps or lids D D for the passage of the grip, but that they may not appear inoperative I will say that they are raised as the grip approaches, so as to permit it to pass as it is carried along by the eable, and they are let down after it has passed, so that they do not impede the general operation of the road.

I-Iavingfthus described myinfvention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. In combination with a channel-way or conduit having a slot in its top, flaps or lids hinged by the outer edges to the top of the channel-way, and having their meeting edges over the slot therein, whereby it is covered, substantially as described.

2. A channel-way composed of parallel spaced plates having inwardly-projecting top flanges forming a slot between them,'in combination with iiaps or lids having rounded or beaded outer edges on which they turn on the top iianges of the channel-plates, and hookshaped straps secured to the channel-plates IOS) and passing through slotsin the flaps or lids, whereby the latter are hinged to the channelplates and guided in their movements, substantially as herein described.

3. A channel-way or conduit composed of parallel spaced plates secured to the cross-ties having slits in their sides, and inwardly-projecting top flanges forming a slot, in combination with the rails B B, and the bolts E, passing through the channel-plates and rails, and provided with dat portions e and collars e, whereby said bolts are secured to the plates, substantially as herein described.

4. The channel-plates c'c, having holes with slits in their sides, and the rails B B,in com- 15 in the web of the rail, substantially as herein 2o described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WARREN DUN HAM.

Witnesses:

G. D. COLE, J. H. BLOOD. 

